There are states in the eastern part of the US, who are actively debating whether to require a BSN as a minimal requirement to become an RN. If this becomes law, should currently licensed RNs be "grandfathered in?"
While I hold a BS in Nursing, I personally do not agree with mandating a change. I have seen nurses: the good, the bad, and the ugly who are diploma grads, 2 year college grads and 4+ year grads.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I've never understood why this is such a complicated issue. Canada has made BSN the minimum and it seems to work well.
Probably because Canada did it the smart way and grandfathered in those already licensed. Here, many facilities (including mine) are trying to force nurses to get BSNs or lose their jobs. I would love to see the BSN as minimum entry to practice just to stop the constant back and forth divisiveness.
I've never understood why this is such a complicated issue. Canada has made BSN the minimum and it seems to work well.
There are significant differences in cost of education between the united states and canada. There are 3 nationally accredited, locally reputable but otherwise totally no-name schools in my city where a 4 year BSN costs greater than $30,000 a year x 4 years. Requiring a $100k education for job where your income prospects start (and largely stagnate) at 40-60k a year (again in my area) doesn't seem like it would work out so well.
I graduated in 2006 with an AS in Nursing. Ten years later I'm going back for BSN because I couldn't find any salary nursing jobs with 9-5 hours. What I wanted to do required a BSN and so here I am. Also planning on doing the BSN-DNP program. My answer is no, BSN should not be a minimal requirement. I'm glad it wasn't as I was a single mother at the time and needed to start working right away. If you're ok with working hospital shifts, don't mind working agency, or you have connections for a better position, more power to you! Me, I hated being limited.
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
I am not a student. As a former member of a national nursing organization, we have were dealing with this issue. I was curious about the opinion of other nurses.
I think I've heard this questions many times. Education is an overall a good thing for nursing practice. However, I don't believe nurses with BSN provide better care, as sometimes stated in this forum. Numbers are easily manipulated. I want more proof before I can buy into that conclusion. I know two nurses who went to school to become nurse practitioners and have not put their degree to use. They maintain employment that does not require the education.
Again, it's the mandatory part I dislike. I feel as nurses continue to pursue this "mandatory education", it will become a standard for entry to practice. If this continues, nurses will soon be required to have an MSN for entry into practice. Who is going to pay for the education? Does the education provide financial benefit to the nurse? Nursing salaries appear to be steadily declining related to the over supply of nurses. I suspect some employers will not hire the highly educated nurses. They will not pay for the degree if they can get someone to do the job cheaper. Unlike other careers, advance nursing education does not appear to have the financial advantage.
As far as grandfathering, it's not going to happen. I've been hearing this for my last 27 years of nursing practice. If it was going to happen, it would have happened already. Besides, it would not benefit all the nursing schools who are the biggest advocates for higher nursing education. I question the value and quality of some of the available higher degree education online and otherwise.
Moreover, nursing is not the kind of career, that is learned with a degree. A nurse with a degree, and little clinical experience only gets so far. Employers favor nurses with a degree and extensive clinical practice. I've had a BSN for 26 out of my 27 years in nursing practice. It has not been that useful to me.
I am for changing the way the American universities grant degrees. I am for early specialization and eliminating some of the general education credits. This may cut some university jobs though. Other countries have the equivalent of a 3 year bachelors for nursing where the degree is focused more on nursing than including fluff classes.
I am for changing the way the American universities grant degrees. I am for early specialization and eliminating some of the general education credits. This may cut some university jobs though. Other countries have the equivalent of a 3 year bachelors for nursing where the degree is focused more on nursing than including fluff classes.
If you get rid of the general educations courses, then it's no longer a bachelor's program but closer to a trade school.
I am for changing the way the American universities grant degrees. I am for early specialization and eliminating some of the general education credits. This may cut some university jobs though. Other countries have the equivalent of a 3 year bachelors for nursing where the degree is focused more on nursing than including fluff classes.
General education is not "fluff" -- it's the difference between technical/vocational training and an education. As subee notes, if you took the general ed out of nursing programs, they wouldn't be baccalaureate degrees any more.
loriangel14, RN
6,933 Posts
I've never understood why this is such a complicated issue. Canada has made BSN the minimum and it seems to work well.